June 19 is national Dump the Pump Day

GRANITE CITY — Thursday, June 19 is “National Dump the Pump Day” and Madison County Transit (MCT) is encouraging residents to explore trying transit, carpooling or bicycling to work for their commute.

Since 1995, national transit ridership has increased by 37.2 percent, outpacing population growth (20.3 percent). In 2013, Americans made 10.7 billion trips on transit – the highest in 57 years. In Madison County, MCT reported more than 2.6 million bus boardings in 2013, its highest ridership in agency history.

Dump the Pump Day is a nationwide effort initiated by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) in 2006 to reduce the number of cars on the road, decrease fuel consumption, save money and improve air quality through the use of transit.

“Whether you’re taking the MCT bus to work, using RideFinders to set up a carpool, or riding your bike on a MCT Trail, Madison County Transit offers a number of ways for residents to ‘dump the pump’,” said MCT Director of Marketing and Planning S.J. Morrison. “Just because you have a car doesn’t mean there isn’t a more affordable, convenient and sustainable way to get to work, class or run errands.”

Prospective bus riders are encouraged to try the new “Google Transit” trip planner for a quick and easy way of finding the nearest bus stop and route to work. To plan a trip, visit mct.org and click the “Google Transit” button. When the page loads, enter your starting and ending address in the boxes. Users can also enter the time that they need to arrive at their destination. Google Transit will then map the trip, identifying the bus route, the nearest bus stop and the appropriate pick-up times.

To learn more about MCT’s transportation services or to ask a specific question, e-mail info@mct.org, call 618-797-INFO (4636), visit www.mct.org, or find “Madison County Transit” on Facebook.